Volunteers gut former Mormon church building for charity efforts

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Volunteers on Wednesday began stripping a former LDS Church building of its hardwood floors, lighting fixtures and other materials, which will be donated to Habitat for Humanity for new homes and its retail store, ReStore.

The site, at 400 East and 100 South, will eventually be the home of a Hope Lodge, the American Cancer Society's home away from home for cancer patients receiving treatment in Salt Lake City.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated the building and the land on which it sits. All reusable materials will be salvaged for use in Habitat homes or to stock ReStore, which routes its proceeds to Habitat initiatives.

The harvesting will take place over the summer and into the fall, with the help of teams from Utah businesses, including Wells Fargo. Employees from O.C. Tanner kicked off the project Wednesday.

When the effort is complete, the cancer society will begin construction of the Hope Lodge, which will include 42 private suites for patients traveling from rural Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado, Montana, Washington, Oregon, California, and Wyoming.